Hidden Love
by Shaelynn Stark
Summary: Syd realizes her feelings for Sky when he takes a hit for her in battle. Z also realizes her feelings for Bridge. A challenged fic.


**"Hidden Love"**

**Disclaimer/Author's note:**

This was a fic challenged to me by ForeverKim&Tommy on Ranger Power. I do not own Sky, Syd, Bridge, Z, Cruger, Jack, Kat...you get the point.

Discoveries

"All rangers to the command center." Looking up at the alert, the SPD rangers knew it was time to go to work. Reporting to the command center, the rangers weren't suprised to learn of a mutant attacking the city. Pulling out their morphers they all shouted in unison "SPD! Emergency!" After morphing, the rangers finally caught up with the mutant in downtown Newtech City. "Hold it right there!" Jack exclaimed in reference to the mutant standing in front of them. Not saying a word in return, the mutant simply fired it's lasers at the rangers. Not expecting the hit that soon, all the rangers were knocked off their feet by the blow. Quickly, they all regained their footing.

As the battle ensued, Syd was taken down by the mutant. Seeing her being left defenseless, Sky ran in just in time as the mutant was delivering the final blow. Watching as Sky took the hit for her, Syd screamed "Sky!" As he fell to the ground at her feet and demorphed, the mutant just laughed maniacly as he disappeared. Powering down, all the rangers gathered around Sky to see if he was okay. When they discovered he was unresponsive, they immediately took him back to headquarters where Kat ran some tests on him. While they were awaiting the test results, Syd couldn't take it and ran off to her and Z's room.

Watching her take off the way she had, Jack turned and took off after her. Catching up to her in her and Z's room, Jack sat next to her on her bed. "Hey...You okay?" He asked gently. Silently, Syd just pulled Peanuts, her stuffed animal she'd had since she was five, close to her as she buried her face in it. Understanding she was pretty upset, Jack placed an understanding hand on her shoulder and gently asked "What's wrong?" As she looked up from where she'd buried her face inside Peanuts, Jack noticed her face was terribly tear stained and she was shaking from her sobbing. Her voice also trembled as she replied "This is all my fault!" Trying to comfort the pink ranger, Jack wrapped his arms around her and asked her "How is any of this your fault?" Looking up into his eyes, Syd replied "If I'd handled that freak better, Sky wouldn't have had to take that hit for me..." Knowing what she meant, Jack assured her "Syd, that wasn't your fault. I don't blame you-nobody blames you...And I know Sky sure as hell wouldn't blame you." Pulling away from her, Jack pulled her chin up to make her face him as he continued "If anyone, I blame Gruum for sending that freak that started all of this in the first place."

Smiling weakly at Jack's attempt to comfort her, Syd replied "Thanks, Jack." Smiling, Jack replied "No problem, Syd." Standing and helping her up as well, Jack added "C'mon. Let's go see how Sky's doing..." Putting Peanuts back on the bed, Syd followed Jack back to where Sky was as she replied "Okay..." Returning to the group, Syd asked "How is he? How's Sky?"

Frowning slightly, Kat replied "He took a pretty powerful hit...Only time will tell the true extent of his injuries..." That having not been the quite the response she'd wanted to hear, Syd fought back the tears. Picking up on how upset she was, Kat, Cruger and the other rangers just silently made their way out of the room in order to leave Syd alone and give her some privacy with Sky. Finally, Syd couldn't hold back the tears any longer as they silently streamed down her face. Gently, she took Sky's lifeless hand in her own trembling one as she stroked some loose hair off his face as she gently whispered "God, Sky...Why'd you have to go and do that? Why'd you have to go and take that hit for me?" Right now, she would have given anything to have taken that hit herself. _God, what I wouldn't do to make this all just be some awful nightmare...What I wouldn't do to make sure that Sky was okay and to take away his pain and suffer for him..._She thought to herself. _Wait a minute...Could it be...Am I actually falling for Sky?..._She thought to herself when she realized what the sight of his current condition was doing to her.

Listening to Syd's words, Sky tried to wake up but soon discovered that it felt like two-ton cinder blocks had been attached to his eye lids. _Damn!...God, what I wouldn't give to hold her in my arms and tell her that everything's gonna be okay and that I'm okay..._Sky thought to himself. _Wait...Am I actually falling for someone...Am I actually in love with Syd?..._He continued as he realized how he felt not being able to talk to Syd. Finally, a few hours later, Jack had come in and taken Syd back to her and Z's room saying that it was getting late and that she should get some rest.

_Yeah right...Like I'm gonna be able to rest knowing that Sky might not be okay...Oh yeah...Piece a freakin' cake..._Syd thought to herself as she lie awake in bed, staring up at the cieling. Finally, a couple of hours later, Syd finally managed to find a restless sleep. However, she kept waking up frequently-worrying about Sky. The next day, the others all noticed her lack of sleep. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Z assured her "Syd, Sky's a fighter. If anyone can make it through something like this, he can..." Nodding his aggreement, Bridge added "Z's right, Syd. If anyone could pull through this, it's Sky..." Half smiling at their attempts to cheer her up, Syd replied "Thanks, guys. But, I really don't think I'm gonna feel any better until I know for a fact that Sky's gonna be okay..." Her feeble attempt at smiling quickly turned into a slight frown at the thought of thought of Sky possibly not making it.

Understanding how she felt, Bridge added "Yeah, I think we all will..." The others nodded as Z replied "Definitely." Putting an arm around Syd's shoulders, Jack added "Don't worry, Syd. You're not alone. We're all just as worried about Sky as you are..." Bridge and Z both nodded as Syd replied "Yeah, I know...Thanks, you guys..." Smiling, Bridge replied "Anytime, Syd." Getting up, Syd commented "Speaking of Sky, I think I'm gonna go check on him." Standing up as well, Z added "I'll come with..." Shaking her head, Syd replied "Z, if you don't mind, I'd really rather go alone..." Nodding understandingly, Z replied "Of course...I understand." With that, Syd left to go check on Sky.

Walking into see that his condition remained the same, Syd stopped dead in her tracks. Today, rather than trying to fight them back, Syd just let the tears fall freely and silently down her cheek. Seeing Syd enter the room, Kat approached her. "Syd, I need to talk to you a minute..." Quickly drying her eyes, Syd replied "Uh, yeah, sure, Kat. What's up?" Sighing and frowning slightly, Kat replied "I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news about Sky..." _Oh, God...Please don't tell me she's about to say what I think she's about to say..._Syd thought to herself, panicked. Hoarsely, she whispered "What is it?" Frowning, Kat reluctantly replied "The longer he stays like this...the more his chances of survival diminish..." _Oh my God!...I don't believe it..._Syd thought to herself listening to Kat's response. Her voice still just a hoarse whisper, Syd asked "C-Can I see him?" Nodding understandingly, Kat replied "Of course..." As Kat silently made her way out of the room, Syd slowly approached Sky's side.

Once again, she took his lifeless hand in hers and stroked some loose hair off his face as the tears silently flooded down her face. "God, Sky...I need you...I need you to make it through this...I don't know what I'd do without you...I'd be lost if I lost you..." She hoarsely whispered to him. _Why the hell am I wasting my time talking to him...I mean, he's unconscious...It's not exactly like he can hear me, now can he... _Syd thought to herself. Slowly, Syd leaned forward and lightly kissed Sky's forehead.

Listening to Syd's words and feeling her lips brush his forehead, Sky could feel his heart begin to break. _God, Syd, if only you knew...I have to find some way to show her that I'm all right, that everything's okay..._Sky thought to himself, wanting nothing more than to hold Syd in his arms and assure her that he was okay and that everything was going to be all right and that she had nothing to worry about.

_I got it..._He thought to himself as he figured out a plan to try and come out of his current unconscious state. Then, he concentrated everything he had left into his right hand. Slowly, he felt it start to curl up into a fist. _Yes!...Come on, Sky...Just a little more..._He thought to himself in victory over his small success in his attempt at waking up.

_What the-_ Syd thought to herself as she felt Sky's hand begin to close around her own. _Oh my God!...Oh, please tell me this is what I think it is..._She thought. Quietly, she whispered "Come on, Sky...Just a little bit more...You're almost there..." Slowly, Syd watched as Sky's eyes began to open as he squinted against the bright lights all around him. _Oh my God...Thank you!..._Syd thought to herself in celebration of Sky waking up. Weakly, she asked "Sky? Sky are you all right?"

Smiling up at her, Sky reached up and dried her tears as he replied "Yeah...I am now..." Smiling, knowing that Sky was gonna be okay, Syd replied "Sky, I'm so glad you're okay..." Just then Bridge and Z entered the room. Turning to Syd, they apparently hadn't noticed that Sky was finally awake. "Hey, Syd, we just came to make sure you were okay..." Z said as she entered the room with Bridge at her side. Looking down at Sky as he smiled back up at them, it finally hit Bridge that Sky was awake. "Hey, Sky! It's good to see you're finally awake..." He commented. Having not noticed Sky was awake, Z hit Bridge in the chest. "Don't play with Syd like that..." She hissed at him. "Oww...Hey, I'm not playing..." Bridge defended, gripping the spot where Z had hit him.

Smiling, Sky looked up at Z as he simply added "Hey, Z...". Not paying any attention to what was going on, Z absently replied "Hey, Sky. Bridge you know how har-...Wait...Sky?" Softly, Sky chuckled as Bridge added "See? I told you I wasn't playing..." Turning to Bridge, Z added "You're right. I'm sorry, Bridge." Smiling, Bridge replied "It's cool, Z. Hey, Sky...Good to have ya back." Smiling, the blue ranger looked up at his teammates gathered round him.

"Thanks, guys. It's good to _be _back." He replied. Noticing that Sky and Syd probably wanted to be alone, Bridge and Z silently made their way out of the room. Sitting up-with a little help from Sydeny-Sky asked her "Hey...You okay?" Smiling at his concern, Syd replied "Yeah, I'm fine. We were all just pretty worried about you." Smiling, happy to know she was concerned for him, Sky just took her hand and looked deep into her soft blue eyes and took refuge in the depth of their innocence. After a short silence, Syd asked "Why'd you do that, Sky?" Confused slightly, Sky asked "Why'd I do what?" Hesitantly, Syd added "Why'd you take that hit for me?"


End file.
